Choose from
M40 (Winnecke 4)
Messier 40, also known as Winnecke 4. Basically it’s a double star, and an optical double at that!
It was discovered by Messier while he was looking for a nebula reported in the area by Johannes Hevelius. He couldn’t find it so he catalogued this double star instead. Most have been a slow night or something…
And why did I bother imaging it? Well it was in the only patch of clear sky there was and I only had a few minutes before it clouded over. Still, it’s another Messier object to add to my list 🙂
| Object ID | M40 / Winnecke 4 Double star, Ursa Major Mag. 8.4, Size 0.8′ |
| Details | 2018-09-14 through gaps in cloud |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 5x20s darks, flats |
| Capture | APT |
| Processing | Nebulosity 4, Photoshop |
M39 (NGC 7092)
Nice wide open cluster with a deep Milky Way background too.
| Object ID | M39 (NGC 7092) Open cluster Cygnus Mag. 4.6, Size 32′ |
| Details | 2018-09-08 Not very transparent. |
| Telescope | 200mm f5 Newtonian, MPCC IDAS P2 LPR filter Guiding c80ED, ASI 290MC |
| Camera | Canon 600D |
| Exposure(s) | 10x60s, darks and flats |
| Capture | APT, PHD |
| Processing | Nebulosity, Photoshop |
Orion and Running Man nebulae
Red channel has poor focus.
| Object ID | M42,43 and Sh2-279 |
| Details | Nebulae, Orion Mag. 4 Size 65’x60′ |
| Telescope | C80ED @ f5.6 (x0.75 reducer) |
| Camera | Atik 460EX (-15C) and SX filter wheel IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Exposure(s) | L 10x60s 1×1, RGB 10x60s each 2×2 darks, no flats or bias |
| Capture | APT, finder guiding with PHD2 |
| Processing | Stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop and Lightroom |
M45 Pleiades
A new combination tonight.
| Object ID | M45, Pleiades |
| Details | Open Cluster, Taurus Mag. 1.6, Size 110′ |
| Telescope | C80ED @ f5.6 (x0.75 reducer) |
| Camera | Atik 460EX (-15C) and SX filter wheel IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Exposure(s) | L 10x60s 1×1, RGB 10x60s each 2×2 darks, no flats or bias |
| Capture | APT unguided |
| Processing | Stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop |
M57 (NGC 6720)
Another attempt at this object. Not been back to this for years.
Trying a new style of “data card” below:
| Object ID | M57 (NGC 6720) Ring Nebula |
| Details | Planetary Nebula, Lyra Mag 8.8, Size 1.4’x1.0′ |
| Date/Time | 2017-10-22 |
| Telescope | 200mm f8 RC |
| Camera | Canon EOS 600D,  IDAS P2 LPR filter |
| Exposure(s) | L 30x60s Darks ISO800 |
| Capture | APT, piggyback guiding with 70mm f/7 refractor |
| Processing | Stacked in Nebulosity, processed in Photoshop and Lightroom |
M51 (NGC 5194)
“Whirlpool”, Spiral Galaxy, Canes Venatici
Mag 8.4 Size 11.2′ x 6.9′
2017-02-16
200mm f8 RC
Piggyback guiding with 70mm f/7 refractor
L 10Ă—240s 2Ă—2, RGB 10Ă—120s 4Ă—4Â Darks Bias Flats
Atik 460EX (-25C), LRGB filters, IDAS P2 LPR filter
Captured in APT, Processed in Nebulosity3, PS CC, LightRoom
Best clear night for a while. Quite transparent and still.